The Space Between
by spazzyd
Summary: Carter gains some insight into the lives of McKay, Sheppard and Weir.
1. McKay

**The Space Between**

Rating: All Ages

Summary: McKay's going stir-crazy at Area 51, and wants some answers.

Gen, Sam/McKay friendship

Spoilers: Atlantis - The Return, Parts I and II; SG-1 - Line in the Sand

A/N: The Atlantis crew was Earthbound in "The Return, Part I" and "The Return, Part II" for roughly six weeks. Assuming both series run along a similar timeline, I figured that SG-1 probably came back from their mission in "The Quest, Part I and II" some time before that happened. This tag takes place a week after the events from "Line in the Sand", and a week or so before the crew from Atlantis hijacked a puddle jumper and headed for the Pegasus Galaxy to save Jack and Woolsey. In my world, the order was then "Return, Part II," "The Road Not Taken" and "The Shroud."

* * *

"I don't care what you have to do or who you have to harm to do it, just get me Colonel Carter," Dr. Rodney McKay bellowed to the young scientist before him. "Now!"

He'd barely made it through security at the surface fifteen minutes prior, then narrowly dodged General Landry and his pipsqueak of a sidekick along the way to the labs. And he wasn't about to let Junior here get in his way either. Where was Blondie when he needed her?

Dr. Kenneth Farrow felt his knees wobble slightly as he tried to find a phone – any phone – in the communal lab. "D-Dr. McKay," he stammered, "I'm sorry, but I have express orders to - "

"It's OK, Kenneth," a voice calmly stated from the doorway.

Both doctors twisted around to find Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter leaning casually against the doorframe, her arms crossed loosely over her chest.

McKay's eyes widened and he jabbed his finger in Sam's direction. "_You!_"

"Me?" Sam's eyebrow raised slightly and she grinned.

"Yes, you!" He opened his mouth to elaborate, then remembered their visitor and stopped. "First things, first: You," he turned back to Kenneth and snapped his fingers in rapid succession, "leave."

Kenneth was all too happy to oblige.

Sam watched the young man scurry down the hall, and idly wondered if today would be his last day at the SGC. She'd have to talk to him later, she decided. When she glanced back at McKay, she was treated to a classic McKay Look of Rage. She'd gotten used to that one soon enough, she supposed. It wasn't quite as offensive as the McKay Look of Disdain, nor as disarming as the McKay Look of Vulnerability. She could handle this, no sweat.

"So, Rodney," she greeted as she slowly walked over to the lab counter and gingerly leaned forward, favoring her right side. "What can I do for you?"

McKay noticed her odd gait and stance, but said nothing, his mind on other things. "You know exactly why I'm here."

Sam shook her head. "No, I don't. In case you've forgotten," she leaned forward even more as if to bestow upon him a great secret, "the galaxy really doesn't revolve around you."

"Hmm, maybe not this one," McKay shot back. Then, "Look, this is important."

The grin reemerged across Sam's face as the source of his anger suddenly dawned on her. "This is about the Lantian technology, isn't it?"

"Yes!" McKay exclaimed. "Why else would I waste my hard-earned miles to fly here, not to mention my meager vacation time, bamboozle base security to let me down here, and risk getting caught by General Landry in the process?"

"Listen, I - " Sam stopped short and tilted her head in curiosity. "Did you just say 'bamboozle'?"

Rolling his eyes, McKay groaned. "Yes, yes. Would you've rather I said 'duped'? Is that monosyllabic enough for you?"

Sam's eyes narrowed, but her smile remained. "I dunno. 'Hoodwinked' would've worked for me, too." Then she paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.

Explaining the situation to McKay wasn't going to be easy, simply because she understood his pain. Area 51 was a dead-end on its own, let alone going there after years of being in the action. She'd nearly gone a bit crazy herself.

To be honest, the incessant politicking from all sides was becoming a burden on everyone involved, and Rodney wasn't the first one to feel the brunt of the IOA's heavy hand. Upon learning that Daniel had been "compromised," they'd demanded that a team be organized to locate him and "eliminate" the threat, citing that his acquiring of Merlin's knowledge put both Earth and Atlantis at risk.

Needless to say, General Landry had (thankfully) told them where to go.

As far as how to tell McKay that he was never going to lay a finger on that technology again, that was a different story. Sam knew that General Landry had argued that issue to death, but had had to choose his battles with the IOA. Granting them full access to all Lantian technology and experiments was a small price to pay under the circumstances.

Still… McKay didn't deserve what they were doing to him. She just didn't know how to fix it yet. Maybe in a few more months or so, things would change.

Then again…

"What?" McKay asked softly. "You have that look in your eye."

That knocked her out of her contemplation. Sam shot her head up and frowned. "What look?"

"The look that says you're going to say something that you have to say, but don't want to, because you don't want to hurt me." He smiled triumphantly and lifted onto the balls of his feet ever so slightly. "Huh, I never knew you cared, Sam."

"All that from one look, eh?" Sam asked incredulously as she let her gaze fall to the lab counter. "It looks like you know me better than I thought."

"And you," he paused ever so slightly, his hand at his chest, "me."

Sam nodded, and allowed that bit of knowledge to sink in for both of them. So she was having a moment of weakness with the guy. There were some things that transcended all their differences, and keeping a scientist from his pet projects would definitely fall into that category.

"Listen," she whispered, mindful of any passersby, "you and I both know that a lot of what's happened here has nothing to do with you, right?"

McKay tilted his chin indignantly. "Of course not. It's General Lan -"

Sam held up a hand to stop him, knowing where he was going. "Nor does it have anything to do with General Landry."

"Wha - "

"Obviously it's a matter of the IOA wanting to mark their territory," Sam explained. "Why else would they choose Woolsey to remain on Atlantis over Dr. Weir? Woolsey couldn't negotiate his way out of a game of Chinese checkers, let alone work with the Ancients on a deal that's beneficial for everyone." She sighed and shook her head, bemused. "And the fact that they threw General O'Neill in there for good measure probably didn't help matters."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. But what does that have to do with me getting my chance to study what few items the Ancients have allowed us to keep?"

"Come on, McKay," Sam replied. "Do you really think the IOA is going to let the leading expert on Lantian technology have his way after their own scientists could barely make heads or tails of it? I don't think they're ready to admit that defeat. In fact, they probably never will."

She looked up to meet his gaze and found him smiling proudly again. Great. The McKay Look of Satisfaction.

Sam barely suppressed a groan as she realized what she'd done.

"So you admit that I'm the leading expert on Lantian technology then, hmm?" He picked up a pen and played with it in anticipation.

"Sure, McKay," Sam conceded. "You are the leading expert on Lantian technology."

"I knew it!"

Sam smiled mischievously. "But… I think Dr. Lee might be gaining on you."

"What?!" McKay was outdone. "That boob?"

"'Boob'?" Sam inquired dubiously.

"Yes, boob!"

"How old are we again?"

McKay stiffly flapped his arms in the air, looking distinctly like a deranged pigeon. "No, no, no, no, no. Be serious: Do you really think that Dr. Lee, as in Dr. Bill Lee, is coming even remotely close to me in experience with, and knowledge of, Lantian technology?"

Sam nodded, ready and willing to keep the charade up for as long as possible - if only to see him squirm. "Since you haven't had access to it in over three weeks, yeah."

"Oh, rub it in, why don't you?"

She shrugged. "Then, of course, there's Dr. Zelenka, who's really always been gaining on you."

"Please," McKay replied. At her challenging look, he forged on, "OK, OK, I'll admit this here because it's private, and no one will believe it even if you do blab: If I'm honest with myself and with you, Dr. Zelenka is a brilliant scientist. Really. He's better than, better than - "

"Better than me?" Sam asked expectantly, easily anticipating the jab after years of practice.

McKay ceased his train of thought and looked earnest and almost apologetic all at once. "No, Sam," he said quietly, uneasily meeting her gaze. "That's not what I was going to say."

"Oh." Sam nodded quickly, not quite sure how to take that. It had been smooth sailing, following along the same line of conversation as it usually did between them, but now she didn't know how to proceed.

Rodney was a lot like Daniel, in the sense that he could switch gears on a dime, at the drop of a hat. For him, the ebbs and flows of a conversation were like seamless transitions. The only problem was, it sometimes left the rest of the population in a mystified cloud of dust.

She tried to ignore the dull ache in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Daniel. For weeks now, she'd tried to maintain the brave face for Vala, Cam and General Landry. Having experienced Daniel's nine lives first hand, it was expected of both her and Teal'c to be the somber ones. Though Cameron took on that role seemingly without any issue, Sam knew that everyone expected them to maintain their stoicism. This was, after all, like old hat to them.

"Is something, uh, bothering you?" McKay asked. Sam's eyes widened at the question, and when she looked at him, it was clear that he was as surprised as she was. He quickly moved to clear it up, "I mean, because I saw you sort of limping earlier, and just now, you looked…"

"Looked what?" Sam asked softly.

"Upset." McKay shook his head briefly in confusion.

Why was he asking her these questions? For one thing, he'd come here for a specific reason, and she'd managed to side-track him more than once. For another, it was Colonel Carter, and she probably had a dozen other people she could discuss this with. It so wasn't his problem, and he half-expected her to call him on that.

"It's nothing," she finally said, having observed his evident war with himself. She wasn't really in the mood to talk about it anyway. "Thanks for asking, though. Just… make sure you don't make too many waves in Nevada, OK? General Landry really is trying to work things out with the IOA, and it hasn't been easy. And he doesn't need any more reports coming in about your… dissatisfaction."

McKay nodded resolutely. He trusted Sam. Deep down, he really did trust General Landry, too. It was just going to take some time. The sooner, the better. "Done." He came around the counter and stopped in front of her. "General Landry won't hear a peep from me. Not a sound. You won't even know I'm there."

Sam chuckled and placed a reassuring hand on McKay's shoulder as they both headed for the door. "Oh, don't make promises you can't keep, Rodney."

"What?!" McKay demanded with a halt. "I was being serious!"

"I know." Slowly, she guided him out of the office and leaned in closely to his ear. "That's what frightens me."

"Hmmph." McKay wasn't amused.

"Now, I know this may only have a moderate effect on your mood right now," Sam said as they headed down the hall, "but I think you'll be quite happy with the chef's special today. And you don't even have to take my word for it…"


	2. Sheppard

**The Space Between**

"Has there been any news from that contact on PZY-7804?" General Hank Landry asked the group of SG-team COs before him. The regular meeting had run long – approximately 30 minutes too long – and he was ready to call it an evening.

"No, sir," Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell spoke from the back. He'd been standing the whole time with his hands in his pockets, and though he'd contributed a bit to the meeting, he'd been distant. As Hank looked around and locked eyes with a weary Colonel Carter, he realized that Mitchell wasn't the only one who was burning the candle at both ends. He'd have to have a chat with the two of them ASAP.

"It appears Grorhem disappeared into thin air, sir," Colonel Reynolds explained. "SG-1 and my team searched the entire countryside with the help of the Lyomenians and we came up empty."

Hank sighed. "Is it possible that he was located by the Ori?"

"No one can be sure, sir," Colonel Carter answered. "He wasn't exactly the most forthcoming contact. It's possible that he simply got spooked and found residence with one of the Lyomenians' allies."

"I see." Hank nodded. "Well, if that's still a possibility, I want all teams to keep an eye out for him. Let him know that we haven't forgotten about our deal, and that we intend to make him keep up his end of the bargain." He looked around the group of 25 COs and nodded resolutely. A third colonel caught his eye and Hank inwardly groaned. "Alright, if no one else has anything else to add – and I trust you don't… Dismissed."

Everyone stood up alongside General Landry and moved to go, but Hank was fast and was able to make eye contact with the three colonels before they could leave, motioning for them to stay put in the process. "Before you go," he said discreetly, "I need to speak with the three of you."

Cameron shot a cautious look at Sam, but she already had an idea where this conversation would be going. When she glanced to her left however, she was surprised to see that Lt. Colonel John Sheppard had been ordered to stay as well. She hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him more than a few times since he and the Atlantis crew had been decommissioned a few weeks prior, but it'd been fairly obvious that he wasn't exactly happy here.

"What is it, sir?" Cameron asked as he sat down on Sam's right.

Hank didn't answer right away, opting to stand across the table so that he could face the junior colonels head-on.

They were all quite similar, he decided. Though they each approached a given situation differently, Hank could easily see why these three would be his problem children. "Your teams are being put on stand-down for the next week."

Sam frowned, but said nothing. John simply shifted in his chair and folded his arms. Cameron sat forward and placed his hands on the table, ready to argue. "Sir, I understand we've been bugging you lately, but don't you think we should be out there looking for Dr. Jackson? We've come close a couple of times to actually locating Adria's men."

"Yes, you have," Hank agreed. "But, at the moment, this isn't about Dr. Jackson. I've got 10 teams whose sole purpose while off-world is to gain intel on his potential whereabouts. You are not the only team working to find him." He paused. "But your team – and yours, Colonel Sheppard – could use a break from off-world travel. And I intend to give it to you."

Sam maintained neutrality as she sat back in her chair and said, "Can I ask why, sir?"

"You're working too hard, Colonel," Hank answered quickly. "All three of you are."

John took this moment to lean forward so that he was even with Cameron. "With all due respect, sir," he began with mild trepidation, "my team hasn't really been doing all that much around here."

"And that hasn't stopped you from getting all the information you can about the proceedings between the IOA and the Ancients on Atlantis," Hank shot back. John swallowed, unsure how to respond to that. "I'm well aware of your dedication to the Stargate Program, Colonel Sheppard, but your heart isn't here… Perhaps it never was. Nevertheless, I'm ordering your teams on stand-down for a week. It'll give you all a chance to gain a bit of perspective."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Sam requested as she leaned forward so that she was even with the guys on either side of her.

"Granted," Hank obliged.

Sam quickly glanced from one side to the other, catching a hint of anger from Cameron and chagrined annoyance from John, before continuing, "It seems to me, sir, that the IOA has taken a greater stake in our most recent issues with the Ori and the Ancients. It's out of control. It was a mistake to send Richard Woolsey to Atlantis instead of Elizabeth Weir. Dr. McKay is sitting in some lab at Area 51 with technology that has long since been forgotten, instead of focusing on the technology we were able to obtain from Atlantis. Daniel's missing, and we have no idea where he is. And now you want to ground our teams for a week so we can gain perspective…"

Sam paused before forging on. "I'm sorry, sir, but it seems to me like the most experienced people for the jobs at hand are already being ignored. How is putting us on stand-down going to help the situation?"

Hank bristled at her connecting him to the IOA, as if they were working in concert. He knew that Carter was aware of his distaste for the IOA, so he also knew it wasn't intentional. Still, the remark annoyed him just the same.

"You have a job, Colonel, beyond that of a commanding officer," he reminded her. "Contrary to popular belief, your team is not the only one with specialized, experienced members. You also serve a purpose in the labs." Sam leaned back ever so slightly as if to avoid the sting of his tone.

"So, whether you're in the field or on this base," he continued, "you will be doing something to aid in our fight against the Ori. Besides, you've been looking for the opportunity to test Merlin's device again. Here's your chance."

John took this opportunity to speak: "Sir, I know Colonel Mitchell and I don't exactly serve a dual purpose like Colonel Carter here, but I have to agree: Why now?"

"Exactly," Cameron ground out. "Why now, when both Atlantis and Earth are at stake, not only from the Ancients and the Ori, but also from the IOA?"

"I've made my decision, Colonels," Hank said succinctly. "You don't have to understand the whys. You don't have to like it. The three of you have mission reports to catch up on, and I don't want to see any of you anywhere near the Gate Room until further notice. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," John responded.

"Yes, sir." Sam and Cameron nodded in unison.

"Good." Hank's frown deepened. "Dismissed."

Sam waited for the guys to stand up and move before she gathered her files and headed for the door behind them. Having served with Cameron for almost two years, she could tell when he was at his breaking point, so decided to leave him be. Glancing back at General Landry, she could see that he was at his as well.

John Sheppard, on the other hand, was a bit of a mystery. She'd heard about him, of course, heard the stories… And of course she'd worked with him briefly when SG-1 went to the Pegasus Galaxy. But she'd never gotten an opportunity to simply talk to him, gain any insight into his character.

Sam split from the guys, heading instead for the elevator that would take her to the commissary. She was just about to hit the button when she heard footsteps approach. After a moment, the door opened and she stepped through. As she turned around, she could see that John was right behind her. Sam smiled, unconsciously hoping to ease the look of tension on both of their faces.

He smiled in return and shrugged wistfully. "I get so turned around here. Commissary floor?"

"That's exactly where I'm headed," Sam said as she indicated the corresponding button.

"Great. I'm starving," John stated needlessly by way of explanation.

"That's a good reason to go to the commissary," Sam replied with a smirk.

John nodded once and glanced up at the top of the elevator lights, his thoughts elsewhere. Then, as if the idea suddenly struck him, he turned to Sam. "You mentioned McKay back there. You talked to him lately?"

The door opened on their floor with a ding and Sam stepped through. Smiling lightly at the memory, she nodded and paused a moment, allowing John to catch up. "I have. He was here just a week or so ago, actually."

"Really?" John frowned. "I didn't know that. I'm surprised he didn't come see me."

"Oh, he tried," Sam explained. "You were on PZY-8309 with SG-7."

"Ah, that's right." John shook his head regretfully. "Not a good planet."

Sam chuckled. "I heard it's a bit chilly."

"That," John paused for emphasis, "would be an understatement. I don't know how the people survive."

"Well, Rodney was very disappointed."

John rolled his eyes. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes," Sam confirmed as they entered the commissary. "He all but accused you of being absent on purpose."

John groaned. "Rodney… I tell you, that guy is a lot needier than he looks."

Sam nodded, reflecting on that piece of information. "Yeah, he does seem to be a bit clingier than I remember him."

Hopping in line, John tried to think of the many reasons why Rodney would come to the Springs, despite the fact that General Landry had pretty much ordered him to stay away from Cheyenne Mountain unless his services were required. No good reason came to mind, so he settled on simply asking the question instead: "So, why was he here in the first place?"

"It turns out he's been stonewalled on a couple of projects lately," Sam responded as she passed him a tray and some utensils. "He came here to see if I knew anything about it."

"Oh." John winced. "Sorry."

"It's OK." Sam waved it off as she grabbed a salad and a diet cola. "I don't blame him for being frustrated."

"Does he have any chance of gaining access to the Ancient technology?" John inquired.

"Short of an intergalactic incident that could suddenly incapacitate the Ancients again…" Sam began with a shrug. "… that would, of course, bring Atlantis back under our control, I can't really think of anything."

"Yeah, like that'll happen," John grumbled.

"Exactly," Sam agreed with a sympathetic nod. "Sorry. It looks like you're stuck here."

John glanced back up to gauge her response and sighed. "I don't want you to think that I'm not happy here - "

"You aren't," Sam stated flatly. Then, "And I'm not sure I blame you."

"Yeah, well thanks." John sighed again. "General Landry, on the other hand…"

"General Landry's under a lot of pressure," Sam rejoined with a sigh of her own as they took their food to a nearby table. "It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing since you guys came back. He is fighting for you guys, even if it doesn't look like it."

John nodded in understanding, but remained silent as they sat across from each other. Once again Sam could see that his thoughts were elsewhere. She remembered McKay mentioning members of their team whom they'd left behind, and noted their names from past reports – Ronon and Teyla. She hadn't met them personally, but McKay seemed pretty fond of them, despite his claims to the contrary.

If he had his way, the whole world would believe that he didn't care for a soul.

Sam grimaced down at her salad. She supposed it might be easier to live with relative – even fake - detachment. At least then maybe the disappointment of rejection or failure wouldn't feel so intense.

Maybe.

"I do miss him," John muttered into his juice. "McKay, I mean."

Sam smiled appreciatively. "I know."

"And I miss Teyla and Ronon, too," John added contemplatively. "They're members of my team – my old team."

"I know," Sam whispered. "From what McKay said, they sound like good people."

"Great people," John emphasized. "And I haven't seen Elizabeth in weeks." He looked up at Sam then and frowned. "I think this might've hit her the hardest."

"I heard her tell General Landry that Atlantis is her home," Sam acknowledged. "I'd imagine it'd be very difficult to give it up that easily. She made the Atlantis Expedition her whole life. You all did."

"Yeah, it is home," John murmured. When he looked up again, however, his eyes were steely with determination. "But we can get through this. It'll just take some… adjusting."

Sam admired his resolve. "I think you guys are doing the best you can."

John opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the blaring klaxons and Walter's usual, "Unscheduled Off-World Activation," which was followed by a semi-usual, "Colonel Carter to the Control Room." Instinctively, Sam stood, forgetting General Landry's earlier decree.

She was just about to say goodbye when Walter seemed to interrupt his own thoughts with a harried, "Colonel Carter to the – Cancel that. Dr. Lee to the Control Room. Dr. Lee to the Control Room."

"Damn," Sam muttered with a rueful grin.

John chuckled. "It looks like General Landry got to him first."

Plopping back down at the table, Sam rolled her eyes with a huff. "Yep."

She supposed she could start working on Merlin's device again, though the memories of the last time were still quite vivid. She'd somewhat been avoiding the task for a couple of weeks now.

Suddenly, something – or someone – at the doorway caught John's eye, and Sam watched with mild amusement as he frantically waved the person over. Sam peeked back at the newcomer and grinned. "Well, at least you have Dr. Beckett."

John nodded, his eyes wide and his whole demeanor reminding Sam of a little kid. "I know, huh? Carson!"

Dr. Carson Beckett approached the table, a peaceful and disarming smile that Sam had grown to appreciate gracing his handsome features. "Well, hello John. Colonel Carter."

"Dr. Beckett," Sam greeted with a welcoming smile. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you. And you?"

"I'm doing well, thanks."

"Carson!" John exclaimed. "Nice of you to join us."

Carson's eyebrows furrowed as he took in John's exuberant attitude. He looked back at Sam. "Did I miss something?"

"No," Sam replied. "I think he's just happy to see you."

Carson sat down. "Oh, that'll be a first, then."

"Nonsense, Carson," John countered. "It's always great to see you. Honest."

Carson smirked. "I seem to remember just the opposite sentiment last time you were in my office."

"Oh, that's different," John shot back. "I meant in an unofficial capacity. You know, without the tests and probing and stuff."

Sam watched the two friends banter back and forth a little more. It reminded her of the days when Jack was still on her team, when Janet was still alive, and when Daniel still seemed so blissfully unaware of the way of the military world.

Their petty arguments could either irritate or lull her to sleep, depending on the occasion, and she hadn't realized how much she appreciated it until it was gone.

Atlantis' crew really was unique, she decided. They were truly a tight-knit group, one that had been forged through two and a half years of hardship. The SGC was close, but there was something to be said about living on a base light-years from home, in another galaxy, and depending on every single person on that base to carry his or her weight. It was a bit different.

There was no denying how happy John was to see Carson, and indeed how happy Carson was to join John at the table. There was a real friendship there – and it was clear that they were all missing Atlantis terribly. Considering what Atlantis symbolized for all of them, it was really no surprise.

Sam had found over the past decade that home really is where your heart is, ignoring the cliché. And if your heart is with your family, then home will be there, too. She'd seen that the week before in McKay, and she saw it in John and Carson. They were a family deeply missing its members, desperately needing their home.

As she watched John tease Carson, causing him to blush and get flustered in his earnest way, Sam couldn't imagine anything breaking that bond or separating that group of people for any extended length of time. Somehow she knew they would all be reunited again. And they would return to Atlantis one day, hopefully to stay.

She just hoped that day would come before McKay made another surprise visit to Colorado Springs.


End file.
